1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the art of oral and maxillofacial surgery, and more particularly to a system for fixing the opposed jaws of a higher animal together subsequent to surgery while enabling quick release of the jaws after a period of healing or in the event of an emergency.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
In the treatment of dentofacial deformities such as mandibular or maxillary excess or deficiency, it is known to employ presurgical periodontics, restorative dentistry and orthodontics, along with surgery, to remove the deformity. Typically, presurgical periodontic and restorative dentistry steps are completed first, followed by the placement of braces by an orthodontist who adjusts the positioning of the teeth so that they will be properly oriented upon completion of the surgery. Once these preliminary steps are completed, surgery is performed on the patient to remove the deformity, e.g. by removing excess bone and/or shifting portions of the mandible or maxilla relative to one another, and the jaws of the patient are wired together to immobilize them during healing. Subsequently, the jaws are released for movement, and post operative orthodontics are continued until such time as the teeth are properly aligned.
It is conventional to wire the jaws together by securing ball hooks to the arch wires and then tying bands or wires between the ball hooks of the opposing rows of teeth. However, such ball hooks must be individually placed on and secured to the arch bars, and may interfere with any post-surgical adjustments that must be made to the arch wires by an orthodontist. In addition, removal of the bands and ball hooks subsequent to healing of the mandibular and/or maxillary regions, or in the event of an emergency, requires independent removal of each band or wires. As such, several steps are required to release the jaws for movement apart from one another, and any quicker release is not possible.
An alternate means for providing ball hooks on opposing rows of teeth includes the provision of special brackets that are manufactured with protruding ball hooks to which bands can be tied. Although such brackets eliminate the problem of post operative adjustment of the arch wires, quick release of the jaws remains a problem.